Charles s



No. 622,648. Patented Apr. 4, |899.

. S. GILMAN. l

CARD INDEX.

(Application led Mar. 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

- the ends of the boX or drawer.

rrrcn.

CHARLES S. GILMAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO TII GILMAN-YARNELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARDMINDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,648, dated April 4, 1899.

i Application filed March 17, 1898- Serial No. 674,144. (No modelJ To @ZZ whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. GILMAN, of the city of llflinneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to card-indexes, and particularly to means for holding or securing the cards in the index drawer or box.

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple and cheap card-locking device which may be operated from the end of the drawer and which, being opened, will permit the withdrawal of any one or all of the cards. The invention consists generally in I[he coinbination, with the two parallel and laterallymovable bars arranged in the bottom of the drawer or box which contains the cards, of cards having Ts or lugs to enter between said bars and to be secured thereby when the bars are in their normal positions or relations Vand means for spreading or separating said bars, all as hereinafter described.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a transverse section of a card index embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the card-locking device removed from the box or drawer. Fig. f1 is a detail view showing the card T or lug before the same is applied to the card. Fig. 5 is a partial plan View showing a modified construction of the locking mechanism.

As shown in the drawings, there are two bars 2 2, -which are substantially of the length of the inner dimension of the box or drawer that contains the cards. The ends 3 3 of these bars are bent downwardly in the same direction and are provided with holes 4: for screws or pins 5, by which the same are pivoted to The bottom 6 of the drawer is provided with a slot or groove 7, and the tops of the bars 2 2 lie wholly beneath the surface of the bottom or floor 6 of the drawer and are adapted to be closed or separated, as indicated by full lines and dotted lines, respectively, in Fig. 1.

Preferably at one end only of the bars there is a spring or clasp 8, that forces the bars together. To separate the bars at will, I arrange a plunger in the forward end of the drawer,the saine comprising the wedge or cone 9, provided on the spindle lO, on the outer end of which spindle is a button 11. The wedge or cone is preferably accommodated in the recess 12 in the inner side of the front end of the drawer and below the level of the bottom thereof, and the straight part 9 on the end of the cone prevents the bars from closing tightly together. As the button 1l is forced in the wedge or cone is forced between the downwardly-bent ends of the bars, and said bars are separated against the force of the clasp or spring 8. When the button 11 is liberated, the spring 8 will close lthe bars together again and will force back the cone or wedge, which therefore need not be provided with the returning-spring, the one spring S serving to close the locking device and return the operating key or plunger. In the front end of the drawer is the inclined part or block 13, and 14 represents an inclined block that is slidable in the boX or drawer. The cards 15 are arranged between the forward end ofthe drawer and the movable block or follower 14.

ASome of the cards may be provided with index letters or marks, and all are designed to be written upon. Upon the lower edge and at the middle of each card I provide a metallic plate 16, from the lower part of which projects the T-head 17, the narrow neck 18 whereof is embraced between the bars 2 2. This plate is cut from a single sheet of metal. The blank is shown in Fig. 4:. As there shown, the plate portion 16 is provided with the four lugs or points 18. The two lower points are bent beneath the lower edge of the card, and the two upper points are pricked through the cardand clenched upon the back thereof, the T-head being thus securely fastened to the card. This fastening differs from that shown in my pending application, Serial No. 629,915, in that the plate is secured on one side of the card only instead of being made in the form of a clip to embrace the opposite sides of the card. These clips oc cupy but little space, and it is possible to get IOO a greater number of cards into the box than when the clips shown in my pending application are used. For very long boxes or drawers, where the locking device 2 2 is of great length and where the same would be apt to spring, so that a spreading operation at one end would not affect the opposite ends, I prefer to employ a rod or light shaft 19, extending from end to end of the box beneath the Hoor-line and provided with a turn button or handle 20, by which the shaft maybe turned to throw the arms 21, arranged on the shaft 19, between the vertical parts of the locking-bars 2.2, said bars being thus separated by said arms. With this construction I prefer to employ springs or clasps at both ends of the locking-bars.

Obviously the detail construction of the device as herein shown and described may be altered. For instance, instead of turning the ends of the bars downwardly the same may be turned upwardly and pivoted at higher points upon the ends of the box or drawer. I therefore do not confine my invention to the specific construction herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombinatiomwith thelaterally-movable bars 2 2, of the wedge devices provided between the same and all arranged in the bottom of a card-index drawer or box, substantially as described.

2. The longitudinally-stationary but laterally-separable locking-bars 2 2, arranged in the lower part of the card-index drawer or box, in combination, with means to close said bars, the cards having heads or lugs held between said bars, and a wedge device for opening or separating said bars, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the card-index drawer provided with the groove 7 in its bottom, of the bars 2 2 provided with the b'ent ends 3 3, suitably pivoted at the ends of the box or drawer, a closing-spring, and a separating device adapted to be operated between the bent or vertical parts of said bars to separate the same, substantially as described.

4L. The combination, with the bars 2 2, of the box, in the lower part whereof said bars are arranged, said bars having the downwardly-bent ends 3 3, the closing-spring 8, the plunger 10 provided with the button 11 and the cone or wedge 9, the latter adapted to enter betweenthe vertical parts 3 of said bars 2 2, and the cards having lugs or heads held between said bars, substantially as described. 5. The combination, with the bars 2 2 horizontally pivoted and movable only7 laterally, of the cards having T-heads held between said bars, and the separating wedge device extending beneath said bars and the heads upon said cards, substantially as described.

6. The combinatiomwith a card-index card, of the plate 16 provided with the lugs 18', and the T-head, the lower lugs 18 being bent beneath the lower edge or" said card, and the upper lugs 18 being pricked through said card and clenched thereon, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the laterally-separable bars 2 2 of the drawer whereon the same are arranged, the wedge plunger to enter between said bars and separate the same, and a single spring to close said bars and return said wedge plunger, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the laterally-movable card-locking bars, of the spring closing said bars, the wed ge plunger for opening said bars, and the straight part on said plunger to'A limit the space between said bars when closed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this '7th day of March, 1898, at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

CHARLES S. GILMAN. In presence of- O. G. IIAwLEY, M. E. GooLEY. 

